A Safe Place

As a therapist, I see families in many forms, mother and child, grandmother and grandchild, even foster parents and their children.  I also see families when I work with an individual.  An individual usually brings her family with her into therapy.  This shows up in many ways.  She may talk about her family from the standpoint of things that occurred when she was young or she may talk about her own children, partner, or parents.  I am actually seeing a family when I see her!  For instance, a woman I'm seeing talks about her teen daughter, another woman talks about her brother, a man talks about his grandson...Each person brings her concerns, and even tensions, to the session.  It is a place to think about relationships and come up with ways to understand "the other." It can be a place to process grief or loss, or to talk with joy about a new development.  Having a safe place, away from the family, is very useful... Things can be said that can not be said directly to the other person.